The director backed his casting choice, telling the Los Angeles Times: "We know the material. Unfortunately, the fans don't know the material. So, we're casting according to what's happening in the script.

"And we're hoping that leads to enough originality, enough perspective on what we're doing that you get something fresh and exciting. I understand the canon. I'm not crazy. I know what these characters need from a mythological standpoint."

Zack believes Jesse, who received an Oscar nod for his performance as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, will not disappoint film fans.

"I think Jesse is going to be an amazing Lex. Let's not forget he was nominated for an Academy Award. It's not like I just grabbed my friend to play the guy! This guy's the real deal," he said.

The Sucker Punch filmmaker revealed shooting on the film will begin around April.

"We're getting ready to start shooting in a month or so. It's going great. I'm very excited," he said.

"It's very fun to get into this world with different heroes co-existing in the same universe, but a lot of balls in the air as they say. As a fan, it's an amazing opportunity. This literally takes the Man Of Steel and Batman universes and explodes them. You're not as tied to the mythology... Now that you've got these characters, to now let them loose. That's fun!"

Man Of Steel 2 will be released in May 2016.

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